Human Interest

TikToker Francesco LoPresti Dead at 24 After Cancer Battle: 'I Feel So Broken,' Says Girlfriend

Francesco LoPresti, who was diagnosed with stage 3B testicular cancer when he was 17, died earlier this month, according to girlfriend Kaitlin Reagan

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Published on March 31, 2022 01:48 PM

Francesco LoPresi, Kaitlin Reagann — Photo: Instagram

Francesco LoPresti, who amassed a large following on TikTok alongside his girlfriend, Kaitlin Reagan, has died. He was 24.

Reagan announced the news of her boyfriend's death in a video shared on the social media platform Wednesday.

Tearing up, she said, "I'm really sorry, because my goal was for you guys to watch him ring the [remission] bell, but the cancer took his life. Francesco passed away on Monday, March 21st."

Noting that the video "was really hard to make," Reagan continued, "It's been a week since he hasn't been here, but you guys deserve to know. He loved you guys so much and he loved everything that you guys did for him — watching our videos and standing with us."

"It's going to take some time for us to really comprehend that he's not here anymore and to heal," she added. "I'm going to be back, I'm just going to need some time. Everything that I do moving forward will be for him."

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LoPresti and Reagan made hundreds of videos together on TikTok, documenting LoPresti's cancer journey as well as their relationship. In a post from March 11, Reagan shared that a doctor had told them her boyfriend's "cancer is moving quick." Days later, she asked for prayers, saying they were "in a hospice stage."

In the caption of her post announcing LoPresti's death, Reagan wrote, "I love you unconditionally and I feel so broken."

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"I know you want everyone to know how much their love and support filled your life, so please let his voice be heard," she continued. "I promise to share your messages one day."

"You and I against the world forever," she added. "Thank u for a true love story."

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Reagan and LoPresti's romance began years ago when they were preteens taking dance classes — ballet for Reagan and breakdancing for LoPresti — according to their official website.

Despite LoPresti leaving the classes, the pair later reconnected years later at age 15. Afterwards, Reagan said it was "history from there."

At 17, LoPresti was diagnosed with stage 3B testicular cancer, which "metastasized into multiple tumors surrounding his lymph nodes, neck, liver, spinal cord and right hip," per their website. " As a result he has endured numerous surgeries and radiation treatments and is currently on his second round of chemo."

"To be transparent, I can't believe how far we've come together," Reagan wrote on their website. "Through ups and downs, we still stand strong today."

"What I learned is, that's what love is," she added. "No matter what, if it meant to be, no matter how hard it gets, you will always find your way back to each other."